Pasig City Councilor Simon Romulo Tantoco drew applause from colleagues and spectators Tuesday after declaring he would abandon his political career if a law banning political dynasties is enacted.
The statement followed a resolution introduced by Councilor Volta delos Santos urging Congress to expedite House Bill 6771, which seeks to prohibit related individuals from holding public office simultaneously.
Tantoco, a second-term councilor for Pasig’s 1st District, is the nephew of Pasig Representative Roman Romulo. Under several proposed versions of the anti-dynasty law, their third-degree relationship would bar Tantoco from seeking office while his uncle remains in power.
“I am related to Congressman Romulo by third degree,” Tantoco said during the session. “If ever a law is passed that directly affects me, I am willing to forgo my career in public service and my personal ambitions for the sake of the Filipino people.”
Tantoco is the son of socialite Mons Romulo and the grandson of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo. He is also the great-grandson of the late diplomat Carlos P. Romulo.
“We entered politics with the mindset that our loyalty is not to a single family, nor to a single party,” Tantoco added. “Our loyalty should belong to the City of Pasig and, above all, to our country.”
Several other councilors with political relatives expressed similar support for the measure.
The issue of political dynasties is a sensitive topic in Pasig. The city was governed for nearly 30 years by the Eusebio family, with the mayoralty passing between patriarch Vicente, his wife Soledad, their son Bobby, and daughter-in-law Maribel.
Mayor Vico Sotto ended that streak in 2019 and has since maintained a personal policy against relatives running for office alongside him.
Tantoco’s declaration comes amid local political rumors regarding the 2028 elections. Speculation has grown that Sotto’s current allies — Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski and Representative Roman Romulo — could potentially face off for the mayoralty, a move that observers say might split the administration’s support and allow for a return of the Eusebio family.